Opened:The beginnings of the society can be traced to the early 1900s, as the second wave of Italian immigration — mainly from central and southern Italy — settled into Rockford. Today, the social club is open to all cultures.

Hours:Friday night fish fry weekly starts at 5 p.m. and is open to the public.

Most popular items: The Deep-Fried Canadian Walleye ($10.95), Fried Cod ($9.75 for full order, $7.50 for a half order), Baked Cod ($9.95 for full order, $7.50 for half order), and Fried Catfish ($8.95) are the most popular items. The only other entrees on the menu are shrimp ($8.95), half a fried chicken ($8.25) and Spaghetti with Meatballs ($7 for a full order, $5.25 for a half order and $3 for children younger than 12 years).

We ate:My boyfriend and I ate there April 4. The walleye filet, which was so big that the ends hung off the side of the dinner plate, tasted great. The fish was soaked in wine vinegar, breaded with an egg batter with Panko bread crumbs, flavored with lemon, pepper, parsley and paprika and then deep fried.

We also had the half order of baked cod, a piece of fried cod — which we liked better than the baked — and haddock, which wasn’t as flavorful as the good-tasting sauce that topped it. Rice accompanied our entrees. We preferred the spaghetti to the Pasta Alia Olio, which had too much garlic for our tastes.

“Ahh” factor: The fish fries are popular, and the place is packed from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nearly three-fourths of those eating at St. Ambrogio on Friday nights are members, so there’s a friendly, chit-chatty ambiance in the dining room and bar.

“Hmm” moment: The tartar sauce came packaged in little containers and the salads in disposable bowls.